A Symphony Of Home

Twenty-Five (Elysia's POV)

(Edited)

After dinner, I sat with the ladies on the couch, watching a series on Netflix, but I wasn't paying attention to it. Instead, I found myself re-reading the messages Tae Ho had sent me over the past week. Nothing too bold, but his words had a certain pull on me. I still wasn't sure what we were to each other—certainly not in a relationship. In a few months, we'd all be going our separate ways. Only one more night, and the guys would be back. Then, the day after tomorrow, we were off to Nigeria. No rest for them, it seemed. I was excited to see everyone again, but especially Tae Ho. He brought an energy to the house that I couldn't deny.

"What are you doing?" Maria's voice interrupted my thoughts as she peered over at my phone.

Quickly, I tilted it away. "Just working on something for the business."

She shot me a teasing glance. "Right, and that's why you're smiling like a teenager reading messages from her first love."

"I'm not smiling," I said defensively, but I immediately noticed the grin on my face. Damn.

Maria chuckled, clearly not buying my response. "Uh-huh. A teenager would say the same thing."

I laughed it off, though inside, I felt my walls cracking. She wasn't wrong, and I couldn't help but feel like I was wading into dangerous territory with Tae Ho. Whatever this was between us, it wasn't something I could let develop into love. He was... younger. Our paths were different. Besides, this was temporary.

Once the movie finished, we tidied up the living room and made our way to bed. As we ascended the stairs, the conversation turned to the guys coming back the next day.

"I did miss them," Damru admitted.

"Yeah, as friends, of course," Dina chimed in quickly. "Nothing more." Her tone tried too hard to sound nonchalant, and we all glanced at her knowingly.

"Right," Maria teased. "Sure, you missed them as just friends."

Dina opened her mouth to retort but didn't get a chance before I nudged her playfully. "Come on, we all missed them. Even you."

"I didn't say I didn't. I miss my cuddle," Maria said unexpectedly.

"Your what?" we both asked, eyes wide.

"My cuddle," she repeated, nonchalantly. "When I can't sleep, Chan Woo holds me, and I fall asleep in an instant."

"And it stays at a cuddle?" Imani's question carried just enough innocence to make it seem genuine.

"Of course!" Maria said, blushing as she practically sprinted to her room. We laughed, and I followed suit, heading to my own space, eager for the next day to come.

The following day, after my usual workout and breakfast, I decided to tidy up the bedroom. It had gotten messy in Tae Ho's absence. Not that I cared—he wasn't here to judge. But now that he was coming back, I wanted to make sure everything was in order. I left the door open to let fresh air in. I thought about the moment he had cornered me against the wall when the electricity had gone out. That night had stirred something deep within me, something I hadn't felt in years.

But what if I had misunderstood everything? What if he didn't want anything more than the kiss before he left? What if when we went further, it wasn't what he expected?

"Lost in thought again?" Imani's soft voice drifted from the doorway, breaking me out of my reverie.

"Yeah," I admitted, sighing as I sat down on the bed. "Is it that obvious?"

She smiled gently. "After all these months, yes. Want to talk about it?"

I hesitated. I didn't want to talk about Tae Ho with anyone. Not yet.